Hot Air » Blog Archive » Obama’s Gold Medal in Olympic Duck-and-Spin? A minor event, at best

Obama’s Gold Medal in Olympic Duck-and-Spin? A minor event, at best

posted at 7:20 am on April 10, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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After Hillary Clinton challenged President Bush to skip the opening ceremonies for the Olympics in Beijing this summer, a move Bush reportedly is considering, reporters asked Barack Obama whether he agreed to the mini-boycott. He never really answered the question, using it as an opportunity to call China America’s “banker” and to complain about the status of trade with China instead. ABC News says Obama has good reason to change the subject, but does this really matter?:

Barack Obama doesn’t seem to want to talk about the Olympics or Senator Clinton’s call for a boycott of the opening ceremonies on August 8, 2008. …

The junior Senator from Illinois has a particularly tricky balancing act when it comes to the subject of the Olympics: Chicago is vying to host the 2016 games and one of Obama’s top campaign advisors and close friends, Valerie Jarrett, is the vice chair of Chicago’s bid committee.

So what does this mean? Not much. It isn’t as if Obama has covered up some horrid connection to an indicted political fixer or counts former domestic terrorists among his early political supporters. He has an adviser who also acts as a high-ranking member of a — gasp — Olympic Bid committee!

The most that can be said for this is that Obama will kowtow to a special interest, at least in silence. He’s willing to criticize China for its human rights abuses and support for Sudan, but won’t target the Olympics out of deference to his friend. While one could fashion an argument out of that, it’s pretty thin gruel, and Obama has plenty of other vulnerabilities in this election without pulling a muscle on this effort. (via Memeorandum)

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Do some research of questionable things Daley has done for games he has not even been awarded and you will have a more clear picture of why Obama doesn’t want to talk.

Pam on April 10, 2008 at 7:44 AM

And within the link provided by you..Obama feels the US should get involved in the Chinese/Tibet problem? Where’s his UN?

Pam on April 10, 2008 at 8:10 AM

Didn’t Billary accept loads of money from the ChiComs over the years? Where does she get off pushing the POTUS to boycott China when the Lincoln bedroom (and access to America’s nuclear facilities) were available for the asking?

landshark on April 10, 2008 at 8:12 AM

Is there a way to re-do all the primaries without these three candidates?

We still have time until November.

Indy Conservative on April 10, 2008 at 8:20 AM

He has an adviser who also acts as a high-ranking member of a — gasp — Olympic Bid committee!

I think we saw this phenomenon back in the nineties; they were called FOBs (Friends of Bill). Same acronym applies here.

labrat on April 10, 2008 at 8:36 AM

Change !!!!!!!!

Martin Luther Hussein, what benefits him is good for the world.

Hening on April 10, 2008 at 8:46 AM

Sounds like Obamination is ready for another land deal with his pal Rezko. Obama for Olympics 2016!

saved on April 10, 2008 at 9:01 AM

Is there a way to re-do all the primaries without these three candidates?

There’s a “change” I’d be willing to get behind.

Nothing like having to choose between awful, terrible, and horrible, is there?

AZCoyote on April 10, 2008 at 9:18 AM

Obama’s hands are tied when it comes to criticizing China. He is obviously avoiding the embarrassment of addressing the trampling of human rights in Chicago that has been going on for a hundred years.

The Chicago Cubs have not won a World Series championship since 1908.

Oh, the inhumanity.

fogw on April 10, 2008 at 9:33 AM

Machine Politics at its boldest.

Captain Scarlet on April 10, 2008 at 10:25 AM

Attacking China has become the standard practice for the “out” party since the 1989 crackdown. Clinton went after GHWB not being hard enough on China; GWB went after Clinton and Gore for not being tough enough on China, and now here comes Barak (and Hillary) going after the current administration and McCain for not being tough enough on China.

It’s an easy play, because there’s little or nothing to lose attacking them when you’re not in office, since China’s economy has to rely on selling products to developed markets, and there’s no alternative out there to selling to the U.S. But on the other side the U.S. market has become addicted to the low prices it can get from production in China, so until alternatives are found (or China relaxes its hard-line politics), once you’re in power instead of running for the presidency, your policies suddenly change.

How much the change is the only question — at least with Bush 41 and Bush 43, we didn’t hear of the massive Chinese donations to their campaign or the incompetent security efforts by the government to guard military secrets. Obama can talk a good game now, but a President Obama would likely act towards China about like Bill Clinton did for eight years.

jon1979 on April 10, 2008 at 10:27 AM

Obama has since addresed the Olympics, but it doesn’t make his original answer about China being our banker any less economically illiterate.

Karl on April 10, 2008 at 10:55 AM